Mindanao soldiers favor Cruz as next army chief

PAGADIAN CITY: Government troops deployed in Mindanao said they favor a decorated military commander in Minda-nao as the next Philippine Army chief.

Gen. Noel Coballes, the current army chief, is retiring on February at age 56 and troops in the southern region said they want Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz 3rd to succeed as the next Commanding General of the Philippine Army.

Cruz, who belongs to Class 1980 of the Philippine Military Academy, is the current chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City. Prior to that, Cruz was the commander of the First Infantry Division based in Zam-boanga del Sur province in Western Mindanao.

He also served as deputy commander of the 10th Infantry Division and chief of the Task Force Davao, brigade commander and also an intelligence officer of the Philippine Army.

He said many soldiers and officers also favor Cruz because of his loyalty and dedication to service and his unblemished military records and accomplishments.

Cruz was largely credited for his extraordinary peace and development outreach program that until now is being used by the army to address the insurgency problems in Mindanao.

Under Cruz’s stint as army commander and later as military commander in Eastern Mindanao, he introduced various reforms advocated the rights of indigenous people and strongly supported President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s peace process in Mindanao.

2 Comments

It is only reasonable and justified that an intelligent and accomplished officer is designated Philippine Army chief so that insurgency will be defeated and true peace reign in RP. A dedicated and incorruptible officer like Cruz is what PA needs to have as its top general. Let us hope that P’noy will be using fair judgement and not political connections as basis in appointing the next Army Chief.